


A Sort-Of Heart to Heart

by flipwizard



Category: Tangled (2010), Tangled: The Series (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, because rapunzel is in the castle hasn't been on the season 2 quest, i guess?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-07-21
Updated: 2018-07-21
Packaged: 2019-06-13 21:24:31
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15373629
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/flipwizard/pseuds/flipwizard
Summary: Varian escapes from prison, but in the state he's in, he doesn't pose much of a threat.





	A Sort-Of Heart to Heart

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: i have no idea what i'm doing. i just got the inspiration and ran with it. probably bad! its your problem now!

Rapunzel is awakened from a dreamless sleep by the clattering of guards. Confused, she trails over to her window and stares in shock at the courtyard below swarming with the ranks of the royal guard as they set off in their respective directions. 

Footsteps rush past the door to her chambers. Nearly tripping over her loose hair, Rapunzel clambers to the door and swings it open in time to catch the retreating back of one of the uniformed guardsmen.

"Wait!" She calls after them. "What's going on?"

The guard turns. It's Cassandra, unrecognizable from behind. She quickly moves back down the hallway and clasps Rapunzel's hands in her own.

"Sorry, Raps. It's... it's Varian."

Rapunzel gasps. "He got out?"

Cass nods solemnly. "Listen, Raps, I can't stay. The guard is stretched thin as always. I need to get out there."

"I understand. Stay safe, okay?"

"You know I'll be fine." Cass gives Rapunzel a reassuring smile before disappearing around the corner again.

Rapunzel clicks her door closed and leans back against it with a sigh. What was he up to this time? And where could he have gone? Of course, there was only one option, really. Her face settles into a determined look as she makes her way to the stables and saddles Fidella, the halls strangely empty as the majority of the force has been sent to scour the area for Varian.

\---

Varian knows it's reckless to experiment without his goggles and the usual thick gloves and apron that had been stripped from him at the palace prison, but he doesn't have the time to rifle through his ruined mess of a home for replacements. He also knows, deeper down, that his experiments are useless- the only thing that can help Quirin now is Rapunzel, however that may work. But he has to do  _something_ , and he's not risking it all again to try and drag her here. So he fusses around with his chemicals and ingredients, pretending to have some sense of purpose.

Rapunzel carefully and quietly picks her way through the rubble on the stairs and peers through the door into Varian's lab. Just as expected, she can see the outline of his frantic movements at one of the room's work tables, silhouetted by the glow of alchemy at work. He looks less sure of himself than he did the last time she saw him, his anger-fueled confidence burned out and leaving only the desperation that it has risen from. 

He holds up a flask full off brightly-colored liquid and squints at it. Rapunzel ducks out of the room and peers out from behind the door frame, but Varian doesn't look in her direction. He sighs and pours the contents onto a branch off of large amber formation in the room's center, barely waiting to see if it would cause a reaction before turning away. The fluid drips off and sizzles on the floor, unresponsive to the crystal, as Varian steps into the middle of the room.

He lays a palm against the amber, as close as he can get to touching the frozen form of his father through the solid layer of encasement. Slowly, he lets himself sink to his knees, pressing his forehead against the cold crystal.

Rapunzel watches as his narrow shoulders begin to shake with tears. This side of Varian is unfamiliar, but not unseen. She recalls the way he pleaded for her help in the palace and the small moments of despair that had slipped through during their confrontation before his arrest.

She takes a step towards him. He looks so forlorn, but how can she be sure he won't turn against her again the second she reveals herself?

Another step forwards. A pebble clatters across the floor and Varian stiffens in alarm. So, he isn't alone. He can't bring himself to turn and look, but he already knows who it must be.

Rapunzel flinches as the noise is made and abandons her slow approach to finish crossing the room. Cautiously, she kneels beside him.

"What do you want, Princess?"

"I want... I want to help. I should have come to your aid the second the storm passed and my parents returned safely. I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't cut it. But, you know, water under the bridge." Clearly, he doesn't think of it as such.

"Varian, I- I'm not asking for your forgiveness. But I want you to know I'm here for you. Trust me, I want to fix this as much as you."

He lets out a bitter laugh, finally looking up. The hatred in his eyes lingers, but the fire it held has faded. "You expect me to trust you? After everything I've been put through?" 

There's a pause. Rapunzel doesn't respond. She should have expected this, she scolds herself. Don't be hurt that he's still angry. 

He stares back, defiant, as if tears are not still wet on his cheeks.

Rapunzel's expression softens. She reaches out and lays a comforting hand on his arm, still wordless.

"Don't look at me like that. Like you pity me. I- I attacked you! I swore that I'd make you and everyone else suffer. I don't want, I don't deserve your sympathy!" The tears begin to flow again. He doesn't remove her hand.

"You were my friend, Varian. I don't know if you still are, but... even after everything you've done, I think you should have a second chance. And even if you won't, er, cooperate, we're still going to do our best to get Quirin out of there."

Without warning, he lunges towards her. Before Rapunzel can panic, he's grabbed her... in an embrace?

She lifts her arms and hugs him tight. For a moment, the air is still as the alchemist and the princess hold each other. For a moment, everything they've both done is forgotten.

Heavy footsteps sound on the stairs. A small squad of three guards bursts into the room.

"There he is!"

"And the princess, too!"

It all happens too fast for Rapunzel to process. In less than a minute, the guards have crossed the room, pried the two of them apart, grabbed Varian by the arms and begun to drag him away. The look in his eyes is dull, there is no resistance. Rapunzel realizes that he knew this was coming, had been aware his break-out had been doomed from the start. What had he been trying to achieve? Was he just proving a point?

"No!" She cries out as her former friend is pulled backwards from the room. She rushes forwards, but is stopped not-so-gently by the third guard.

"Your Highness, please, that child is dangerous. It's a wonder he didn't injure you before we arrived."

"He wasn't doing anything to hurt me!" Her protests fall on deaf ears as she stretches out her hand to the doorway where Varian and the guards disappeared.

"Let's get you home, Princess."

Rapunzel yanks her arm from the guards grasp and whirls around, staring at the amber that held Quirin in the room's center. Of course, she knows this won't be the last she sees of Varian. She just needs to be ready to come to his assistance when he makes his next move. Together, they'll solve this, she's sure of it.

"Yeah, let's go back."

**Author's Note:**

> i have a feeling varian's going to deal with a lot more anger and devious plans before he works himself to a redemption. but i think that there is a part of varian that just wants to give in and accept help, y'know?


End file.
